By Andy Zimmer When people think of Christmas mythology, figures like Santa Claus often come to mind first. However, the stories associated with Christmas and the wider winter season are far older and far more diverse than any single tradition. Long before Christmas became a Christian holiday, cultures across Europe, Asia, and beyond marked the winter solstice and surrounding months with myths that helped explain darkness, scarcity, renewal, and hope. Early Christian leaders

By Andy Zimmer Oral storytelling has long played a central role in winter holiday traditions across cultures. Before widespread literacy and print culture, spoken narratives were one of the primary ways communities preserved history, conveyed values, and strengthened social bonds. The winter season—marked by longer nights, reduced labor, and increased indoor gathering—provided an ideal environment for these practices to flourish. Within this broader seasonal context, Christma

By Andy Zimmer The winter holiday season has long been tied to storytelling. Across cultures, colder months encouraged indoor gathering, shared narratives, and the passing down of values through stories. Books remain one of the most accessible ways families, classrooms, and individual readers participate in that tradition. This guide offers educational, age-appropriate holiday book recommendations for children, young adults, and adults , alongside classic works that continue

By Andy Zimmer For many children, writing a letter to Santa Claus is one of the earliest experiences they have with intentional writing. It blends imagination with communication, belief with ritual, and storytelling with real-world action. While it often feels timeless, the tradition of writing letters to Santa is a relatively modern practice shaped by literacy, culture, and changing ideas about childhood. Understanding where this tradition comes from reveals how deeply it is